Connecticut Executor Checklist: Step-by-Step Probate Guide for 2026

If you have just been named executor of a Connecticut estate, you are dealing with grief at the same time you have inherited a quasi-legal part-time job with real deadlines and real consequences for missing them. This checklist gives you the sequential steps — in order — from the day of death through the final closing.

Connecticut probate is not fast. A typical uncontested estate takes 12 to 18 months. But each phase has clear tasks and clear deadlines. Knowing what comes next removes a lot of the anxiety.

Phase 1: The First 30 Days

The most important early deadlines fall within the first month.

Order certified death certificates. Get 8 to 10 certified copies from the local town clerk or Connecticut DPH Vital Records. Each costs $20. You will need individual originals for the probate court, each bank and brokerage, life insurance claims, the DMV, Social Security, and property recordings. Underordering is the most common early mistake.

Locate and secure the original will. Find the original Last Will and Testament. If you are holding it, you are legally required to file it with the Probate Court within 30 days of the date of death. This is a strict deadline. Even if the estate will not go through full probate, the will must still be lodged with the court — using Form PC-211 (Affidavit for Filing Will Not for Probate) if no full administration is needed.

Secure the decedent's property. Lock and insure any real estate. Secure valuables. Redirect mail. Cancel recurring subscriptions and automatic payments where possible. You are now responsible for preserving estate assets.

Evaluate whether the small estate procedure applies. Connecticut offers a simplified path if the decedent owned no real estate in their sole name and the total solely owned personal property is $40,000 or less. If this applies, you can file Form PC-212 (Affidavit in Lieu of Probate) and avoid full administration. If the estate has any solely owned real property — regardless of its value — full probate is mandatory.

Phase 2: Opening the Estate (Months 1–2)

File the PC-200 petition. To open full administration, file Form PC-200 (Petition for Administration or Probate of Will) through TurboCourt, along with Form PC-200CI (which contains the decedent's SSN). Deliver the original will physically to the court — it cannot be eFiled.

Set up a TurboCourt Individual account. If you are filing pro se (without an attorney), register for an Individual account and contact your local Probate Court district to complete the mandatory identity verification. Without verified access, you cannot view your docket or file electronically.

Receive your appointment decree and Fiduciary Certificate. Once the court approves your petition, it issues a Decree Granting Administration or Probate of Will and a Fiduciary Certificate. The Fiduciary Certificate is what banks and financial institutions require before they will discuss or release any accounts.

Post a probate bond if required. If the will does not waive the bond requirement — or if the court orders one anyway — obtain a commercial surety bond using Form PC-480 before your appointment can be finalized.

Phase 3: Assets and Inventory (Months 2–4)

Open an estate bank account. All estate funds flow through this account. Do not mix estate funds with personal funds.

Marshal estate assets. Use your Fiduciary Certificate and death certificates to access and consolidate: bank and brokerage accounts, safe deposit boxes (Form PC-203), retirement accounts with named beneficiaries (these pass outside probate but check for any without beneficiaries), vehicles, and personal property.

File the inventory (Form PC-440). Within two months of your appointment, file a comprehensive inventory of all solely owned assets and their fair market values as of the date of death. Professional appraisals are often required for real estate and closely held business interests. File this through TurboCourt.

Check whether surviving family members need immediate support. A surviving spouse or dependent children can petition for a family allowance (Form PC-202) to cover living expenses during the administration period.

Phase 4: Creditors (Months 1–6)

Confirm the newspaper notice was published. The court publishes a Notice to Creditors within 14 days of your appointment in a local newspaper. Confirm this happened and keep a copy.

Send PC-234 notices to known creditors. By mailing Form PC-234 (Fiduciary's Notice to Creditors) via certified mail to all known creditors, you can shorten their claim window from 150 days to 90 days from the notice date. This is optional but significantly shortens the timeline.

Manage and respond to claims. Creditors have 150 days from your appointment (or 90 days from their PC-234 notice) to file claims. You then have 90 days to accept, reject, or pay each claim. Document everything in writing.

File Form PC-237. Within 60 days of the creditor window closing, file the Return of Claims documenting every claim received and its disposition.

Phase 5: Taxes — The Critical 6-Month Deadline

File Form CT-706 NT by six months from the date of death. This is the most important deadline in Connecticut probate. Regardless of estate size, this form must be filed with the local Probate Court within six months of death. Most Connecticut estates fall well below the $15 million exemption and owe no estate tax — but the filing is still mandatory. The court uses it to calculate the probate fee.

Failing to file or failing to request an extension triggers a 0.5% per month interest penalty on the probate fee. Over an 18-month administration, that compounds to a 9% surcharge.

File for an extension if needed. If you cannot complete the CT-706 NT by the six-month deadline, file Form CT-706 NT EXT before the deadline expires. This grants an additional six months. Do this proactively — extensions are not granted retroactively.

Coordinate income taxes with a CPA. You will need to file: the decedent's final personal income tax return (IRS Form 1040 and Connecticut equivalent), and possibly a fiduciary income tax return (IRS Form 1041) for income generated by estate assets during the administration period.

Pay the probate fee. After you file the CT-706 NT, the Probate Court will invoice the probate fee under C.G.S. § 45a-107. Pay within 30 days of the invoice date to avoid the 0.5% monthly interest penalty. If any property passes to a surviving spouse, apply the 50% spousal reduction to that portion of the fee basis. Exclude any real estate or tangible personal property located outside Connecticut from the calculation.

Phase 6: Distributions and Property Transfers (Months 7–11)

Clear real estate titles. To transfer real estate to heirs, obtain Form PC-250 (Certificate of Devise, Descent, or Distribution) from the court and record it with the town clerk where the property is located. To sell real estate to a third party, you also need a CT-4422 estate tax lien release from the DRS recorded with the town clerk.

Transfer vehicles. Use Form H-13B and a certified probate appointment document to transfer title at the DMV.

Distribute remaining assets. Once all debts, taxes, and administrative expenses are paid, distribute the remaining assets to beneficiaries according to the will (or Connecticut's intestate succession rules if there is no will).

Phase 7: Closing the Estate (Month 12+)

File the Final Administration Account (Form PC-241 or PC-242). This is a complete financial reconciliation of the estate — every dollar that came in, every dollar that went out, and the proposed final distribution. Beneficiaries have the right to review and object; they can file a Waiver of Right to Hearing (Form PC-245) to speed up court approval.

Receive court approval and distribute final assets.

File the Affidavit of Closing. Once all distributions are complete, file the closing affidavit. The court closes the estate file and you are formally discharged from your duties.

The Connecticut Probate Process Guide provides the complete operational manual behind this checklist — with each form explained in plain English, the exact TurboCourt eFiling sequence, a statutory debt priority tracker, and a Connecticut probate fee calculator that accounts for the spousal reduction and out-of-state property exclusion. If you are ready to move through this systematically, the guide is built to get you there.

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